Haai there! I need some serious help on a cosplay costume...and I'd really appreciate suggestions! >_< Mainly because I'm a first-timer at cosplaying and I'm not very good at sewing D:
The cosplay I plan to work on is Emperor Lelouch (pictures at the bottom) from Code Geass, but I'm having so much trouble D:
I don't really know where to start! I bought a shirt (picture here: http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z...5/DSC02105.jpg) and I plan to alter it/sew additional stuff on it, but since I've never made a costume before, I'm wondering if I'm starting out the right way, if the material is too flimsy, or if I can even build onto a normal shirt. Would it be easier to make a shirt from scratch? How do I go about making the black parts of his vest? How do I do the gold lining and designs? What do I make the right shoulder pad out of? How do I do interfacing with the hat?

To everything you asked, it depends. I don't want to say that you shouldn't do it, because emperor Lelouch is amazing and you can do anything you can put your mind to, but it's a big undertaking for a first cosplay. First, can you sew? Because you'll definitely need to know how to sew-- Emp!Lulu isn't something you can put together from a closet cosplay.

As for the shirt, the answer is no, for several reasons. First, Lelouch's collar sticks straight up; unless you pop it and do some funky stuff, it won't look right. Second, his shirt doesn't button up the front like the shirt you bought does. Third, the shirt has ornamentation and trim that needs to be added. There are five buttons on each sleeve, and from what I can see, each sleeve is made from two pieces of fabric, not one. Finally, you'll be very unlikely to find a material that matches in both texture and color to make the rest of the outfit (too many different shades of white!).

As for the more intricate questions, I don't know-- I hope someone gets back to you, because I'm hoping to get an Emperor Lelouch done by the end of July. I'm in the nitpicky research phase right now, so I hope my comments help.

P.S. Some of the reference pictures you use are fan art-- if you want to be accurate, I'd stick to official images. I actually looked up the episodes where Lelouch wore the outfit and am now working on sketching out the specifics of the outfit from each angle so I can get a good idea of what I'm getting myself into.

I agree with NeQuittezPas, this is defiantly not a beginner's costume. This cos requires lot of patterning from scratch, working with different fabric, and prop making skill. Also, the cost for all the material is not cheep. You can consider buying it, it probably will cost the same.

Just to answer some of your question...
Would it be easier to make a shirt from scratch?
Yes, it is easier if you make the shirt. It seems like the shirt is in a bit thicker material and, like what NeQuittezPas said, the shape is different.

How do I go about making the black parts of his vest?
You have to make it separately from the white part and sew it together *require patterning yourslef* Suggest you study man's tuxedo pattern.

How do I do the gold lining and designs?
If you want it to look nice, I suggest to use pleader to cut out the design and sew it or glue it on. Its better to use pleader because it wont fray. If not, painting it on is another option.

What do I make the right shoulder pad out of?
If you never make a prop or never deal with plastic before, craft foam or sheet of plastic should work.

How do I do interfacing with the hat?
I suggest you use craft foam to make a base and cover it with fabric. Craft foam is much easier to shape compare to interfacing.

Another thing is that you have to cast the the red jewels yourself. Personally, I never saw any jewels that big anywhere.